New MTR Station Brings Shenzhen Closer

One of the newest stations in the MTR system

This afternoon my friend and I intended to walk from Central to North Point, to help me digest a big lunch I had just eaten. However, by the time we got to the Hong Kong Exhibition Centre we could see dark clouds looming over us, and periodic muted claps of thunder.

When we arrived at the Wan Chai ferry pier, we felt rain drops on our heads and decided to bail and get to the relatively new Exhibition Centre MTR station. This was being built when I left Hong Kong two years ago so it was interesting to finally see it open.

Lots of space for people to move in the station

It is on the East Rail line, which means starts from Admiralty all the way to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau. In other words, there is now no need to go to Hung Hom to get to Shenzhen -- you can easily start the journey from Admiralty.

Talk about making it easier to get across the border...

Again at lunch there was discussion about going to Shenzhen. A great deal is getting glasses made there -- in half an hour -- at HK$200 per pair for not too complicated prescriptions.

Since it's so chea, people get more than one pair made.

Not only can you pick them up to go home, but also have the option of someone bringing these glasses to you in Hong Kong.

Even Costco in Shenzhen has a delivery service where if you buy your items in the morning, they can be delivered to you by the late afternoon.

This line goes all the way to Shenzhen

How can Hong Kong compete with that? And just a very convenient ride away on the East Rail line, the second stop being Exhibition Centre.

Over 40K Isolation Beds Collecting Dust in HK

The isolation centre at Lok Ma Chau Loop is empty

Remember when Hong Kong rushed to build Covid-19 isolation units, and even brought over mainland Chinese construction workers who built units that featured squat toilets? They had to be retrofitted with sit-down toilets after this were reported to the shock and horror of local residents.

While the pandemic is still ongoing but the latest variant, XBB.1.5 is not as severe though it is more infectious, the Hong Kong government has given up on forcing people into isolation, unless their living situation is such that they need to keep away from others for a few days.

Some were built with squat toilets at first

Only the facilities at Kai Tak and Penny's Bay are being used at the moment.

That means over 40,000 beds in an area covering 72 hectares (177 acres) are unused, the equivalent to 86 football fields.

Who knew the city had that much land -- remember it was suddenly donated by tycoons? Wonder if they want their land back now?

The facilities are in the New Territories in Tsing Yi, San Tin, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge, Ma Sik Road in Fanling, Hung Shui Kiu, Tam Mi and in the Lok Ma Chau Loop.

Lawmaker Dennis Leung Tsz-wing said he understood the facilities had been closed for more than half a year, and that about 5,400 workers, including security guards and cleaners, were laid off last May. 

Units at Penny's Bay are still being used now

Not to mention it cost billions of dollars to build these units that were used for about a year, if that? And who paid for them?

Pro-establishment lawmakers (as they are the only ones in the Legislative Council these days), are pushing the government on this, suggesting these units not become white elephants, but be quickly repurposed into housing.

Some suggest it be used for low-income housing for individuals or families, or dormitories for large construction sites, or donated to other countries -- how benevolent. 

In response, some think it's too much trouble to repurpose them into housing units, while others say they should be moved elsewhere as some of these are in far-fetched locations.

Surely these units can be repurposed somehow?

Not even trying to repurpose these units just shows how wasteful the authorities are, and can't be bothered to challenge local architects and engineers to think of creative ways to reuse them.

It also reveals the government not even following its own mantra of telling people to reduce, reuse and recycle...

Over 286K HKers Apply to Travel to Mainland

Borders are reopening between Hong Kong and Guangdong

After Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu announced that up to 60,000 Hong Kong residents could cross the border into the mainland daily from January 8, the time slots were quickly filled up. By 8am on Friday, more than 286,000 residents had registered their visits online.

Lee made the quota announcement on Thursday

From Sunday, 50,000 travellers a day can use land checkpoints at the Lok Ma Chau railway station, Man Kam To and then Shenzhen Bay Port to enter the mainland without having to undergo quarantine if they have reserved a spot online. 

There is also a daily quota of 1,000 for drivers and passengers of private and rental cars who use the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

Meanwhile there is an equal number of places for mainland residents to apply to go to Hong Kong by registering on an Shenzhen government-operated reservation system.

Interestingly there are no quotas for the numbers of travellers entering China via the airport, two ferry terminals and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge shuttle buses. The government estimates there could be around 10,000 visitors through these other routes, but neither side will track these travellers in either direction... wonder why...

Travellers from both sides need to produce a negative polymerase chain reaction or PCR test taken within 48 hours and are not required to quarantine.

Travellers on the bridge won't be subject to quota

Hong Kong lawmakers are pleased with the quota arrangements, but are pushing to increase them further after the start of the Year of the Rabbit.

However, many Hongkongers are terrified of not only an impending invasion of mainlanders -- they are arriving vaccinated or not, as they don't need to show any proof of having had any jabs.

Some have already trickled into the city, though the onslaught is happening in days...